Runaway Train to the Leaf Village
by Colby-Triggerhappy
Summary: It was like any other day on the railroad for Caleb but when a visit by a red fox with an unusual amount of tails is followed by a railroader's worst nightmare, a runaway train, the day turns out to be anything but ordinary.


Runaway Train to the Leaf Village.

It was a cool and damp morning as the sun hadn't yet come up and the pre-dawn light covered the Maine woods in a soft blue light. Clouds of fog hung low over marshes as the headlights of a rumbling train gleamed through the fog. The hum of the diesel engine and squeaking of steel wheels going along steel rails shattered the early morning silence. A small heard of white tail deer scattered away from the tracks as the green and white locomotives rumbled through the foggy marsh. In the cab, a soft white light illuminated the air gauges for engineer Caleb Miles as he glanced at them then glanced to the speedometer. The gleam from the headlights off the eyes of a deer brought his attention back to the tracks ahead. On the other side of the cab was conductor Matt Thomas slouched down in his chair looking like he was bout ready to fall asleep. Caleb looked over and smirked as he blew the horn. Matt jumped from his seat and fell onto the floor of the cab.

"You awake?" Caleb said laughing as Matt climbed back into his chair.

"What was that for? I was completely awake!" Matt hollered.

"Sure you were. That drool mark on your shirt says otherwise." Caleb chuckled. "Anyways getting ready to talk to dispatch we need a line 2 extension."

"Rodger." Matt said as he wiped the sleep from his eyes.

"616 to Rockland Dispatch over."

"Rockland Dispatch, go ahead over."

"Morning Duke, we are ready for a line 2 extension going Eastbound, over."

"That's a negative on giving you the line 2 extension 616. They are going to be doing track work on the switches at Warren Depot but you'll get there before they will. The track crew has asked for a speed restriction through there until they get there. So I'm gonna have to cancel your Form D and issue you a new one. I'll give you a cancel time of 0420. Today's date 7-4-2011. Dispatcher DLV. Also what is you present location? Over." Duke's voice crackled over the radio.

"Rodger Cancel RCR No. 119. Time 0420. Today's date 7-4-2011. Dispatcher DLV. And we are at Milepost 67.. 6..7, Over"

"Alright Matt gimme a sec and I'll get your new form D ready for ya." Duke said over the radio after a moment he spoke again. "Ready to copy 616?"

"Ridger ready to copy" Matt said as he pulled out a blank form D.

"Form D, RCR number 120. To C and E extra 616 East at Milepost 67. Today's date is 7-4-2011." Duke paused on the radio as Matt wrote down what Duke had said onto the Form D. "Circle Line 1. Temporary Speed Restrictions for Main track at Warren Depot. Speed of 5 miles per hour for passenger and freight. Speed Signs are NOT displayed." Duke paused again before continuing. "Circle Line 2 Operate in EAST direction on MAIN track between Milepost 67… 6..7.. and Knox." Duke said as the radio crackled with some static.

"Rodger. Form D RCR Number 120. To C and E extra 616 East at Milepost 67. Today's date is 7-4-2011. Line 1 is circled with Temporary Speed Restriction for Main track at Warren Depot. Speed of 5 miles per hour for passenger and freight. Speed signs are NOT displayed. Line 2 is circled operate in EAST direction on MAIN track between Milepost 67… 6.. 7.. and Knox. Form D, RCR, 120 has two items a line 1 and a line 2. Over" Matt said repeating what he had written down on his Form D.

"616 has repeated back Form D RCR No. 120. Correctly, I'll give you a time effective of 0430. 0.. 4.. 3.. 0.. Dispatcher DLV. Over." Duke said.

"Rodger, Time effective 0430. 0.. 4.. 3.. 0." Matt repeated as he finished the Form D and a copy to Caleb.

"That's correct. Also there's a lot of fog around Warren Hill so take it easy." Duke said.

"Rodger, Thanks for the heads up. We'll be talking to ya when we get to Thomaston.

"Okay, Rockland Dispatch Out."

"616 Out."

"Fog around Warren Hill? That's not surprising" Caleb said over the roar of the engine as he tucked his copy of the Form D behind the brake stand lever and notched up on the throttle.

"Yeah, with the rain we had last night it's certainly cooled things down. It's a welcomed break from the heat and humidity we have been having lately. So yah breaking out the grill tonight?" Matt asked as the train glided up grade and was greeted by a morning sky ablaze with color.

"Maybe, I haven't decided yet. Though I am taking my girl out to see that new Naruto Movie that's playing. She is into that and she has started to get me into it too." Caleb said as they rolled by milepost 70.

"Naruto? What is that? Never heard of it." Matt said as he watched a flock of turkeys scatter away from the tracks.

"It's a Japanese anime or cartoon about ninjas that have special abilities they can use. It's pretty cool." Caleb said as he blew the horn for a road crossing and slowly applied the train brake.

"Ok junior, what road did we just cross and where are we?" Caleb grinned.

"Goshen Road in Warren, just bout to head down Warren Hill." Matt said "Hey it's firefox!"

Ahead of the train said a red fox in the middle of the tracks staring right at them with glowing red eyes but the light from the headlight of the locomotive reflecting off of them hid the red glow.

"Yeap. Say that tail he's got looks to be a bit fluffier than some of the other foxes I've seen out here." Caleb remarked as he back off on the throttle. The fox continued to sit in the middle of the tracks.

"That fox has more than one tail! Wow." Matt exclaimed as he stood up and got closer to the window to get a better look at the fox.

"Try more like nine tails and his he doesn't more he's gonna lose a few of em." Caleb backed off on the brakes as he glanced at his speedometer while he notched up on the throttle. As the engine closed in on the nine tailed fox it disappeared in a cloud of smoke.

"DID YOU SEE THAT!" Matt yelled in amazement as Caleb just stared blankly out the window at the tracks ahead.

"_Did that really just happen_?" He wondered to himself as he notched the throttle up another notch as the engine crested the top of Warren Hill. "_That looked like a mini-version of the Nine Tails from Naruto. No that's impossible it's just a cartoon it doesn't exist outside the pages of a comic book or the tv screen. That was just a fox with a genetic defect that gave it two tails and the fog and lighting conditions made it look like it had nine tails, and a heavy cloud of fog obscured my view of it as it ran off the tracks. I need friggen coffee I've been up too early last few days I'm starting to see things." _Caleb thought trying to justify what he just saw. The slack from the cars behind him bunching up and ramming into the engine jogged him from his thoughts as he backed off the throttle and put the engine into dynamic braking. As the engine revved up there was loud bang that came from behind them.

"The hell was that?" Matt asked he and Caleb looked behind them and looked down their respective sides of the engine. There was another bang as Caleb saw the cooling fan explode out of the side of the engine along with it went pieces of its drive shaft.

"SHIT SHIT SHIT SHIT!" Caleb said as he reached for the radio there was a banging that got progressively louder until an air powered explosion rocked the back end of the engine as a piece of the air compressor exploded out of the engine on Matt's side.

"That was the air compressor!" Matt hollered as the sound of a bubble of air popping blasted through the cab. Squealing brakes and the smell of a cross between hot rubber and hot electrical wire filled the cab as the train ground to halt.

"What the hell?" Caleb wondered out loud as he hit the emergency fuel cut off for the engine and the roar of the engine died down to silence.

"Emergency, Emergency, Emergency. 616 East bound requesting engine assistance on Warren Hill we have lost the cooling fan and air compressor in the lead unit. No injuries to report. Repeat 616 East bound requesting engine assistance on Warren Hill. We have lost the cooling fan in the lead engine and our air compressor." Caleb called over the radio. The reply they got chilled them to the bone.

"Rockland Dispatch to the 616 requesting _'They cannot help you' _engine assistance on Warren Hill. You guys alright?" Dukes voice crackled over the radio. Matt and Caleb looked at each other in shock.

"Did you hear that 'They cannot help you' over Duke?" Matt asked.

"Yeah I did, that freaky demonic voice." Caleb said as he picked up the radio. "Yeah we are alright but we need helper units ASAP we are on the down grade of Warren Hill the air is dumped but I'm not sure how long they'll hold, the air is still bleeding off."

"Rodger that we'll get units out there ASAP I got the local in Thomaston I'll have them drop what they are doing and get over to you."

"Rodger that, I'll let you know if our situation changes." Caleb said. "Matt get out there and get hand brakes on them cars I want at least ten hand brakes on the down…."

"Rodger, ten hand brakes on the downhill side. I'm on it." Matt said as he bolted out the nose door on the engine and gingerly made his way to the second engine and start winding the hand brake down when he saw a red fox poke out from under the freight car with glowing red eyes. Matt glanced down the cut of cars and notice the red glow of the fox's eyes.

"Hey there little buddy that isn't the place for you." Matt said as he got down from the engine and started to walk to the end of the car to get to the hand brake the fox growled at him then darted to the hand brake on the car.

"Hey go home you, get outtah here." Matt hollered as he saw a fan of tails on the fox. "Hey you are that fox we saw earlier!" The fox glared at him as a red bubbling gel emerged from the fox's tails and slammed into the chain that connects the wheel on the brake stand that is used to apply brakes and the brakes themselves.

"Hey what are you doing, what are you and the hell is going on!?" Matt hollered as the bubbling gel mass slammed into the brake chain again breaking it. Then the gel covered the air bleed off level and pulled it, hissing air broke the silence of the early morning. Matt's heart sank into his gut as the car rolled downhill a few inches and bunched up against the engine.

"Oh no you don't!" Matt yelled as he ran up to the next car and started winding down the hand brake as fast as he could but the fox's gel mass broke the brake chain and again bleed of the air to the car. "Cut it out!"

Before Matt could get down the fox raced up the train cutting the brake chain and bleeding off the cars. Each car rolled downhill and pressed against the one in front of it. With only the hand brake on the second engine holding back the weight of the train, slowly the sound of wheels screeching against the brakes on the engine shattered any piece of mind Matt had.

"Caleb the brakes won't hold!" Matt hollered over the radio as he ran back to the lead engine. Caleb bailed out of the engine and closed of the air valve connecting the two engines and disconnected the MU or multiple unit cable. The second unit we still running as Caleb climbed into the cab. The air gauges read zeros across but the air pressure was building back up. "Matt come to the second engine." Caleb called over the radio.

"Rodger, on my way." Matt said as he looked back to the fox it's whole body started to glow then vanished underneath the cars and out of sight.

"Are we going to be ok until the rescue units get here?" Matt asked as he got into the cab his voice was shaking.

"Yes we'll be alright. Air pressure is building and we still have the brakes, the 616 is cut out on the air line so we don't have to worry bout the air leakin from it. This engine is in dynamic right now so if we really start moving it'll help a little bit. You ok? You look like you just shit yourself." Caleb said.

"That fox we saw earlier was back there and is had this bubbly gel like mass come from it and broke the chain to the hand brakes and was bleeding the cars off before I could get to em and tie down the hand brakes." Matt blurted out as the air gauges came back to life and read 30 pounds of air pressure.

"What? You are joking right?" Caleb asked in disbelief. "_I got a bad feeling about this."_ He thought.

"No I aint!"

"616 to Rockland Dispatch over." Caleb hollered over the radio.

"Rockland Dispatch, go ahead 616."

"Duke we have moved to the second unit the 615, I got the air disconnected between the 615 and the 616. We are building air pressure but its slowing going. We are our helper units?" Caleb hollered.

"Last I talked to them they were at Toll Bridge Road just bout to cross the bridge." Duke said.

"Get someone out there to check the bridge they should have been here by now and they aren't here." Caleb said as he watched the air gauge reach 45 pounds, all there was for a reply was a click of static then silence from the radio.

"615 to Rockland Dispatch, Over." Caleb hollered, but there was silence. As the air gauge hit 50 pounds it dropped to zero and the sound of the cars bleeding off came whistling into the cab as the hand brake on the 615 strained to keep the weight of the train back as it started to roll down Warren Hill. The engine slowly began to whine as the dynamic brakes came into play.

"Get ready for your 8 and a ride Matt" Caleb said as with a clank the brake shoes on the 615 gave way and the train really started to roll. "EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY, EMERGENCY! 616 East bound Milepost 72 we have lost our brakes!" Caleb called over the radio.

The whine of the engine sang through the early morning sun as it poked up from horizon. Steel wheels sang a song of screams and squeaks as they sang through the curves. All they could do was listen to the whine of the dynamics strain to keep whatever little bit of control over the runaway train they had as a crossing flashed by.

"That was Finntown Road, we are half a mile from Warren Depot I just hope the switches are lined for the main otherwise we are going for a swim ol' boy." Caleb said as he looked over to Matt who was white knuckled sitting in his seat. "I don't wanna die, I don't wanna die." Matt kept murmuring to himself.

"Hey you aren't going to die!" Caleb barked at him as they pasted milepost 74. Matt just looked at him with fear in his eyes. "We are almost to the bottom of the hill if we can make it past Warren Depot we should be stopping in the Meadow ok?"

As the train screamed around the last curve and into the approach for Warren Depot, Caleb and Matt's heart sank as through the morning fog and sun they saw the switch stand for the sidings lined not for the main line but for the sidings.

"OH FUCK SHIT SHIT SHIT . ,SHIT,FUCK!" Matt screamed as the lead locomotive screamed through the switch spreading the rail and planting into the ground. Cloud of dirt and dust were kicked up from the lead engine as it and the rest of the train careened into the siding before completely jumping the rail and headed straight for the bank that leads down to the a lake. Inside the rocking cab, was doing all he could to stay in his seat while Caleb was getting thrashed about between his seat and the control stand. Creaking and groaning of metal filled the cab as the engine rocked over the ground.

Off in a nearby tree watching the unfolding wreck a masked figure wearing a black cloak with a red cloud on it watched as the lead engine reached the embankment and nosed over it and headed for the water below. Just as the coupler of the locomotive touched the surface of the water the figure did a flurry of hand signs. "Trans-dimensional Time Warp Jutsu" He said as a sink hole opened up before the locomotive as it plunged into the darkness dragging the rest of the train with it. One by one each car of the train disappeared until the last car vanished into the darkness. "Tans-dimensional Time Warp Jutsu complete" The masked figure said as he faded into thin air.


End file.
